[center][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/b3RmLjg4LjdhYmJmZi5UR0Y1YkdFZ1NIbGhZMmx1ZEdoMWN3LjA/sabrina-destiny.regular.webp[/img] [h2]Britney Williams, Stomy Carson, Clarissa Natale[/h2][/center] [sub]In collaboration with [@Punished GN], [@Blizz], [@AtomicEmperor][/sub] [hr][hr][center][hider=To the Gallows - Succession Studios][youtube]https://youtu.be/HTgP5NOfPmM?si=pjvNpFOym5C7cb7a[/youtube][/hider][/center][hr][hr] After consuming the cursed dessert in full, Layla found herself adrift in a dreamless sleep. An unknown amount of time passed before, slowly, a twitch. Then, a flutter of her eyes. She blinked sleepily, taking in her surroundings. She recognized where she was. Her gifted Temple suite, wrapped in the soft blankets of her bed. She blinked again, blearily sitting up and rubbing her eyes. Clarissa had kept a close watch on the girl ever since they made it back to the dormitories. She rarely partook in the post sealing rituals, any of the actual eating of Sacred Meals, it wasn’t her fancy. Layla paused, took a sharp inhale, before her hand shot out, palm open and waiting expectantly. [color=7ABBFF][b]“Where is the object you've sealed Void in? Give it to me… please.”[/b][/color] For Clarissa, this was always the hardest part. Those who expected something like this, or maybe were told… Lied to, even in the last moment. [color=e0c4ff]”My my… You are brave. Very brave, Sweetheart. You’ll miss him, Layla, I know you will. I was just like you once.-”[/color] Clarissa’s face was sullen, and she shook her head. [color=e0c4ff]”Now, you look at me. And you get out what you need to get out, and you put it on me… Because there’s nothing left to give you, Sweetheart. Where he’s gone, the kind of Sealing that he’s gone through? There’s nothing left, Layla. Not here.”[/color] She braced for pain, violence, magic; whatever could happen next, it was now her cross to bear for the good of the girl’s life. She had to bring her back to reality. Layla blinked, failing to understand as she stared up at Clarissa. [color=7ABBFF][b]Nothing… Nothing left? What do you mean?”[/b][/color] [color=00ff98]”We will not be seeing him again, Layla.”[/color] Stormy wasn’t particularly upset about this fact, seeing the damage he could do to a person if let loose. But he tried to be considerate of how Layla felt. Layla's innocent eyes turned to Stormy, watching his large figure loom over her. He was a comfort. He was supposed to be a comfort. So why did she feel so cold right now? [color=7ABBFF][b]“But… B-but that's not how sealings work. There's… there's always something to h-hold onto…”[/b][/color] Layla stammered, her hands clenching the blanket as she furrowed her brows at Stormy. He wasn't making any sense! Britney was leaned up against a wall, facing the opposite of this cold dark room as she held the Noble Vow in one hand. She sighed. [color=f4eb93]”I guess I owe you an apology, first and foremost,”[/color] Britney started, [color=f4eb93]”I didn’t mean to trap you like that, but we couldn’t let Voidy run amok.”[/color] Layla bit her lip, [color=7ABBFF][b]“Issfine.”[/b][/color] She muttered automatically. Britney was quiet for a few moments as she looked at Layla head-on. [color=f4eb93]”Whatever he told you to get you so sprung… he was only [i]using you[/i] like he was Alizee.”[/color] Britney sighed again. [color=f4eb93]”Alizee died the second [i]he[/i] adjoined to her.”[/color] Layla's brows furrowed deeper. [color=7ABBFF][b]”Don't talk about him like that. Just… just give me what you've sealed him in. Please.”[/b][/color] Stormy stayed by the doorway, observing how everyone behaved. [color=00ff98]”You weren’t there as often as the rest of us were, but I can remember how [i]desperate[/i] that hunger made her. I don’t know how to make it easier for you to move on, but we didn’t have a choice. It was this, or let you get yourself killed.”[/color] Layla blinked a couple times at Stormy, staring at him a bit incredulously. [color=7ABBFF][b]“Why… why are you… talking, acting like this.”[/b][/color] Her head turned. [color=7ABBFF][b]“All of you. You're acting like… like he's-”[/b][/color] Her eyes widened, and the color drained from her face. [i]There's nothing left.[/i] [i]Where he's gone.[/i] [i]We didn't have a choice.[/i] Adrenaline shot cold like an ice spike through her nerves. She could feel it, even as she snapped up from her bed. The yawning emptiness. She couldn't make a phantom hand. There was nothing except coldness in her. Without realizing it, her own physical hands slammed against Clarissa’s chest, pulling tight on her collar, pulling her down to look into Layla's panicked, icy eyes. [color=7ABBFF][b]“Where. Is. He…? What. Have you. Done?!”[/b][/color] Her voice was sharp, hissing, not leaving any room for beating around the bush. Not anymore. Clarissa let the girl's hands grip into her shirt collar, ready to take whatever pain came next. [color=e0c4ff]”Minced and shaped Void Heart. Void flesh croquettes. Served with verdant chimichurri and minestrone soup.”[/color] Her voice held for a long moment, staring into the girl's eyes with a look so serious you'd think someone died. [I]Someone did die.[/i] [color=e0c4ff]”Dinner ended an hour ago. There is no more. No more Void Heart. As far as where the essence is, I'd say somewhere between Andrade's blade and everyone's stomachs.”[/color] The hands holding Clarissa trembled as Layla's panic quickly turned to rage and disgust. [color=7ABBFF][b]“You… ATE him? You fucking ate V-v-v…”[/b][/color] Layla's hands loosened on Clarissa's shirt enough for her to lower her head to the side, and throw up the contents of her stomach onto the floor. Half-digested blueberry yogurt. A hand was placed on Layla’s shoulder, as Britney looked her dead in the eye and said, [color=f4eb93]”Which means,”[/color] She narrowed her eyes as she said, [color=f4eb93]”[i]It’s over. Getting angry will change [b]nothing[/b][/i].”[/color] Britney sighed. [color=f4eb93]”... How about we get out of here? Maybe we can hang out. What are some things you like to do, Layla?”[/color] Layla stood there, trembling, before she wiped her mouth clean, dry retched once more, before covering her mouth with a hand and turning away from Britney and Clarissa. [color=7ABBFF][b]“I think… I think I want to go home.”[/b][/color] Was all she could mumble. The girl’s reaction was all Clarissa needed. She nodded, stood, then stepped back with a hand that extended toward the doorknob and pulled it open. It was a quiet walk down the stairs and out into the parking lot where, rather than stop Layla herself, she stopped Britney. [color=e0c4ff]”Brit, please… I know that the last person she’s gonna want to hear from is us, but,-”[/color] she paused, reaching into her back pocket and pulling out a card. Examining it revealed it certainly wasn’t her card. [i]Weyland Rhodes, L.P.C.C. Adlebranch Practices 108 East Halifax Avenue, St. Portwell, Oregon 97303 808-324-6166 “Life’s journey shouldn’t be led alone.” W.Rhodes@ABPractices.com[/i] [color=e0c4ff]”-this is our therapist. Trust me, we need a good one around here. Please, just make sure this stays with her, please? Maybe she’ll never talk to us again, but Weyland and his team specialize in this… They can really help her.”[/color] Clarissa’s face was getting a bit flushed; tears were developing around the corners of her eyes. She didn’t want to think about her baby girl, and she was doing her best to avoid projecting that sort of energy, but the veneer was starting to crack. Britney stared at the girl for a moment before she calmly took the card - placed it in her bra, and said, [color=f4eb93]”I’ll make sure this finds itself to her and she’ll get the help she needs.”[/color] She nodded her head. [color=f4eb93]”But, please, we want to leave..”[/color] Clarissa waved them on, knowing she’d probably never hear from them again; and get blamed for the girl’s problems as a consequence. It’d happened before like this. One simply had to steel their heart to it. A car came around, and in the front seat was a strange face that didn’t look to have any relation to them. On the car’s side was [i]“Oakridge Cab Co.”[/i]. [color=e0c4ff]”It’s all paid up. Get to where you need to go. Goodnight, Brothers and Sisters.”[/color] She stood waiting for their departure, not willing to let them go without her vigil. It was as if the colors rearranged themselves for the briefest moment as Layla glanced back at Clarissa. It was as if the background faded, her features dimmed to black, and two haunting red eyes stared out with piercing coldness. And with a blink, any semblance disappeared. A trick of the eyes. Layla scooted into the back of the cab, waited for Britney, and mumbled out her address to the cab driver. And just like that, they were off. [hr][h1]That night…[/h1][hr] [hr][hr][center][hider=Numb - 8 Graves][youtube]https://youtu.be/AfY4VCJNwSY?si=L15kIdVaTtj8597R[/youtube][/hider][/center][hr][hr] Dried out, red eyes stared blankly at the clock. The seconds ticked over to exact midnight, and the clock gave a soft chime. Chime. Chime. Chime. Scratching on the walls. Scuttling along the halls. Shadows twisting and turning. Layla could feel it. Like an itch that had to be stabbed to be finished. Her curse had come back in full force. And she would be facing it alone. Lip trembling, Layla bowed her head, and waited. One breath. Two breaths. Three. Then, she felt a gloved hand on her chin, coaxing her eyes up. “Dearie, you look dreadful.” Red eyes, devoid of humanity, stared down at her. The center figure wore a black mask, the one on the right had a glowing red smile, and the one on the left sneered, face a pasty, stitched white. The center figure spoke again, his voice a deep croon. “Did you miss us?” The one with a red smile snapped sharply at the taller one. “Why do you play with it? Let's take what we came here for, now that [i]it[/i] is gone.” Layla knew what the red smiling one, Bahlok, referred to. The late Void Heart… Instinctively, her face scrunched up, her exhaustion giving way to silent, cold tears welling up. [color=7ABBFF][b]“Just kill me.”[/b][/color] Came the small whisper. All three apparitions turned and stared down at her in confusion. “Come again?” Chirped the smallest of the three with the white face, Bahlaas. [color=7ABBFF][b]“Just kill me already!”[/b][/color] Layla snapped, her cracked voice pitched in fervor. [color=7ABBFF][b]“I have nothing to live for, and no desire to be in this world. So take what you want and let me die.”[/b][/color] A long pause. Then the black masked figure, Kipnu, gave a dark chuckle. “This is sweet. She wants to join her [i]companion[/i].” Layla glared angrily. [color=7ABBFF][b]“Don't say a word about him!”[/b][/color] That elicited another sickly jovial chortle from the apparitions. Kipnu shrugged. “Like we care. Now, we came here for a very special reaso-” Layla stuck her arms out, revealing skin marred with bite scars. [color=7ABBFF][b]“Take, and end me. I don't want to live anymore.”[/b][/color] Kipnu chortled. “Silly girl, you think we care if you want to live or die? We decide your fate, not you. And we want your blood.” [color=7ABBFF][b]“Then take it! I don't care! Just…”[/b][/color] There was a pause. Kipnu glanced at the other apparitions before narrowing an inquisitive stare at Layla. “Just what?” [color=7ABBFF][b]“If you won't kill me… I'll kill myself. But to disappear peacefully isn't what I want. I need… revenge.”[/b][/color] A snicker. “We're not helping you.” [color=7ABBFF][b]“I'll give you what you want. As many teacup sacrifices as you can handle.”[/b][/color] A shake of the head. “Nah, dearie. Not for you to think you can command us around. No way.” [color=7ABBFF][b]“But I'll be giving you a steady supply of food to toy with. You like that crap, don't you?”[/b][/color] “Eh, helping you with a murdering rampage? I dunno, I prefer sipping on you and watching you cower in fear.” [color=7ABBFF][b]“I have another way to convince you.”[/b][/color] Layla pulled out the knife and pressed the tip to her throat in one fell swoop. She glared up at them, daring for them to move. “What's this, dearie?” [color=7ABBFF][b]“A promise. I can give you the Teacup sacrifice. Or, I can end your little ‘goldmine’ right here and now.”[/b][/color] “You wouldn't.” [color=7ABBFF][b]“Watch me, asshole.”[/b][/color] Layla's eyes constricted, and she jabbed the knife a little harder, drawing a line of blood. She tried to increase the pressure, before a gloved hand grasped her wrist, stopping her. Kipnu leaned down towards her, staring at her through the mask. “That's… that's enough. We'll help you, but only if you promise to give us your blood without a fuss, and humans to eat.” Layla trembled there, before she nodded. “Good. Now, be a good girl, and stay still.” Kipnu pushed his mask to the side, revealing a faceless void with teeth, and he clamped down on Layla's neck as he drew the knife away further.